Conference Agenda

Introduction: Reading is one of the key skills that children are expected to acquire during their early school years. However, some children experience difficulties in developing reading skills and therefore require targeted interventions (Yang et al., 2022). These interventions should focus on phonics instructions, reading comprehension or a combination of both, tailored to each child’s specific needs (Al Otaiba et al., 2023).

Students with low reading skills frequently experience social-emotional difficulties (Moll et al., 2020). Previous research has demonstrated the co-occurrence of reading difficulties and internalizing problems as well as externalizing problems in different age groups (Pickren et al., 2024; Vieira et al., 2024). It is therefore recommended that both areas are addressed to support these students who display both reading and social-emotional difficulties (Boyes et al., 2020).

The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a reading intervention combined with a social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention for children with difficulties in these specific areas. The reading instruction is based on the “Kieler Leseaufbau” (Dummer-Smoch & Hackethal, 2021) and associated materials. It focuses on phonics instruction and reading comprehension by repeatedly reading syllables, words and short texts. The SEL intervention (based on Schmidt et al., 2025) specifically addresses social-emotional challenges in schools experienced by children with low reading skills (e.g., fear of reading aloud in front of the class) and aims to promote self-efficacy, emotion regulation and social problem-solving skills.

In this presentation we want to address the following research questions: What is the effect of a combined intervention (reading + SEL, 40 sessions) on reading skills (decoding and reading comprehension) and on social-emotional skills and behavioral problems in second-grade students with reading and social-emotional difficulties? We hypothesized that children in the intervention group (IG) would show greater improvements in both reading and social-emotional skills compared to the control group (CG).

Methods: This study was pre-registered and employs an experimental pre-post-follow-up design to evaluate the intervention. 43 second-grade students (M = 7.68 years, SD = 0.39, 53% girls, 79% family language German) were randomly (on class-level) assigned to the IG (n = 23) or CG (n = 20). The students were selected out of a screening sample of N = 499 based on their scores in a reading measure (below 20th percentile) and assessment of social-emotional skills. The CG received regular instruction by the classroom teacher. The IG received additionally 20 sessions of phonics instruction followed by 20 sessions of phonics instructions combined with SEL. The intervention was delivered by interventionists in small groups (1-3 children) twice per week. Reading skills were measured using a one-minute word reading and one-minute pseudoword reading (DiLe-D; Paleczek et al., 2017) and reading comprehension (ELFE II; Lenhard et al., 2020) test. Social-emotional skills were measured with student ratings (emotion regulation strategies, emotion recognition, prosocial behavior, internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, problem-solving behavior, social withdrawal; GraSEF (Kogler et al., 2025)) and teacher ratings. Analyses were conducted with R.

Results and Discussion: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in reading skills over time, but no significant differences were observed between the IG and CG. Similarly, no significant group x time interactions were found in social-emotional skills. This lack of group differences could reflect several factors. These include intervention dosage, program delivery, an increased level of attention and support from teachers in regular classroom instruction. Moreover, Children with reading difficulties and co-occurring social-emotional difficulties might need a more tailored intervention to be effectively supported (Dewey, 2018).

Educational Significance of the research: This study highlights the challenges of addressing co-occurring reading and social-emotional difficulties within a single intervention. As there is little evidence available in German-speaking countries for systematic reading instruction and SEL for students with reading difficulties, the results are important to provide the best possible support for students with co-occurring difficulties. It has not yet been clarified whether SEL interventions can successfully be integrated with reading interventions or should be offered as a follow-up (Moll et al., 2020). Future research should explore individual differences in response to intervention and identify conditions under which such interventions may be more effective.

1. Introduction

Amid multiple crises, the rapid pace of digitalization, and increasing demands on young people, current research indicates a worsening mental health status among children and adolescents (Pieh et al., 2021; Ravens-Sieberer et al., 2021). According to the latest Youth Empowerment Report (YEP, 2025), only 7% of children and adolescents report feeling happy and satisfied. Key stressors include academic performance pressure, family conflicts, and societal expectations. Furthermore, approximately one-quarter of adolescents feel insufficiently informed about mental health issues, a situation exacerbated by uncertainty and the persistent stigma surrounding the topic (YEP, 2025). In the context of ongoing crises and a lack of future prospects (Kaman et al., 2025), there is a growing deficit in resilient behavior and the use of proactive coping strategies.

For the sustainable implementation of interventions in mental health care, the active participation of children and adolescents is considered essential (Coates & Howe, 2014). However, young people are rarely involved in a participatory manner in the design of health promotion measures (Kolip & Finne, 2018; Larsson et al., 2018). In Austria, nearly half of adolescents report not feeling taken seriously when discussing their mental health, further hindering dialogue and the development of supportive interventions (YEP, 2025).

The aim of this study was to collaboratively explore mental health topics with secondary school students using a participatory approach. The broader goal of the project is to empower children and adolescents by strengthening their psychological and physical competencies within the school context.

2. Methods

To address the research question, we employed the Photovoice method in three secondary schools with diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Photovoice is a participatory research method that combines photography with narrative storytelling to empower individuals, particularly marginalized groups, to document and reflect on their lived experiences. The procedure according to Wang and Burris (1997) followed five key steps:

a) Preparation and planning,

b) Training and orientation,

c) Photo collection,

d) Group discussions and analysis, and

e) Exhibition and action—for example, the collected photos were displayed in the school environment to raise awareness about mental health.

3. Results and Discussion

The findings demonstrate that Photovoice is a valid and effective method for exploring mental health topics with secondary school students. The results suggest that students are not only aware of mental health issues but also familiar with coping strategies, such as breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and physical activity.

4. Educational Significance of the Research

In light of the multiple crises and the rapid pace of digitalization affecting the educational system and its learners, addressing the needs of young people is of critical importance. By employing the Photovoice method, we gain valuable insights into the perspectives of children and adolescents on the vital topic of mental health. These insights can inform the educational system by raising awareness among all stakeholders, including students, teachers, support staff, school administrators, and parents.

It is therefore crucial for future research and interventions to involve children and adolescents in participatory design processes. Such involvement not only increases their willingness to engage in the implementation of interventions but also contributes to their overall well-being.

Introduction: Theoretical background, aims, and research questions: Whereas in education, learners often view failure as dysfunctional, eliciting frustration and avoidance (Ross et al., 2022), video games deliberately structure gameplay around cycles of failure, feedback, and retry, referred to as “pleasantly frustrating” experiences (Gee, 2005) or “graceful failure” (Plass et al., 2015). Education research likewise shows that under certain conditions, failure can be productive for learning (Kapur & Bielaczyc, 2012). In the present study, we investigate whether game design features that specifically lower the cost of failure can sustain motivation and mitigate frustration inherent to failure (Eskreis-Winkler & Fishbach, 2022). Identifying low-cost, scalable “graceful failure” structures, successfully utilized in games, may inform education research and practice about how to devise classroom and digital task design that leverages failure without diminishing engagement. In the present study, we experimentally isolate one game mechanic routinely used for such a purpose: checkpoints. We expect that by reducing negative consequences of failure, checkpoints effectively reframe failure as local and recoverable, fostering exploration and persistence (i.e., losing only progress since the last checkpoint, rather than all progress in a game level), whereas in the absence of checkpoints, frustration is amplified despite otherwise identical mechanics.

Methods. A 2D platformer video game was developed in two versions: one with regular checkpoints (reducing negative consequences of failure) and one without such checkpoints but otherwise equivalent. This game was then used in an online, randomized between-subjects experiment, in which 172 adults (18–62 years; M = 26.53 years, SD = 8.66 years; 86 female, 81 male, 5 non-binary) played the game up to 20 minutes or until completing all 10 levels of the game. Pre-gameplay, participants provided demographics and baseline levels of frustration (7-point scale; Pekrun et al., 2017). Post-gameplay, they again reported frustration, three facets of intrinsic motivation (interest and enjoyment, perceived competence, pressure and tension; 3 items each, 5-point scale) assessed via a German adaptation (Wilde et al., 2009) of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (Deci & Ryan, 2003). Satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) were measured via the Basic Needs in Games Scale (7-point scale; Ballou et al., 2024). Behavioral engagement (time on task, levels completed) was logged. Statistical analyses compared both conditions regarding frustration, motivation, and engagement measures using standard hypothesis testing and effect size estimation.

Results and Discussion. Players in the checkpoint condition explored a significantly larger portion of the game (i.e., more levels), p < .001, d = 0.59 [0.29, 0.93]. Game-induced frustration (i.e., post-game frustration minus pre-game frustration) was significantly larger for the condition without checkpoints than for the condition with checkpoints, p = .005, d = 0.47 [0.12, 0.84]. Players in the condition with checkpoints reported significantly higher means of perceived competence, p = .003, d = 0.49 [0.18, 0.87], and perceived pressure and tension, p = .009, Cohen’s d = 0.44 [0.14, 0.79], but significantly lower competence frustration p = .009, Cohen’s d = -0.44 [-0.79, -0.12]. Perceived competence, pressure and tension, and competence frustration each significantly mediated the effect of checkpoints on game-induced frustration. Our findings suggest that checkpoints effectively reduced the negative consequences of failure as envisaged, and in consequence improved persistence (i.e., exploring a larger portion of the game) and affect. In particular, introducing checkpoints effectively mitigated frustration, supporting motivation by limiting frustration of the need for competence. By decreasing regulatory demands of coping with failure (Eskreis-Winkler & Fishbach, 2022), checkpoints might enable freeing cognitive-affective resources for the reflective processes required to make failure productive (Kapur & Bielaczyc, 2012).

Educational Significance of the research. Our results show that “graceful failure” structures, like checkpoints, reduce frustration and improve motivation, offering actionable lessons for education. Beyond endorsing game-based learning (Plass et al., 2020), they highlight the importance of lowering the cost of failure to address cognitive-affective barriers inherent to failure experiences (Eskreis-Winkler & Fishbach, 2022). Educational practice could leverage this by inviting low-risk trial-and-error to make failure both informative and less ego-threatening (Eskreis-Winkler & Fishbach, 2019), and generally by working on instructional designs that reframe failure from something to avoid to a resource for learning, enabling productive failure experiences while preserving perceived competence and engagement.

1. Introduction:

Sonification is visualization for the human ear, and employs its skills of temporal and frequential pattern recognition for data analysis and science communicationi. In a visually overcrowded world that is dominated by human computer interaction, sonification opens a space for inclusion (e.g., for hearing impaired scientists), effective information spread, and engagement (e.g., increasing interest and understanding).

Environmental data are often vast and need to be aggregated, and standard visual representations need a level of training. In this study, we sonified data from chemical analysis of airborne particles. In a thorough listening test with chemistry students, we tested the understanding and acceptance of the sound model.

2. Methods

Data stem from 24 hours’ measurements of a city’s air quality, PM2.5, i.e. particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter and are analyzed for any chemical element they contain. PM2.5 is closely monitored because elevated levels are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular issuesii. Scientific studies have shown that fireworks significantly increase the concentration of metals in the air.iii Therefore, we worked with data of three city’s locations that cover the 30.12.2024, 31.12.2024, and 01.01.2025, i.e. 9 data sets in total. While a direct assessment of the air quality is not possible automatically, the number of measured elements in the air and their occurrence – in relation to the natural abundance in the Earth’s crust - can be taken as indicators.

The data-to-sound mapping was based on psychoacoustic considerations and a basic model that can easily be generalized for a variety of contexts. Each measurement of an element is represented by a short “beep”, whose frequency (150 Hz to 900 Hz) is determined by its atomic mass. The beep’s length and shape of the amplitude’s envelop is determined by its natural abundance (0.4s to 0.18s, giving rarer elements a shorter and more percussive envelop).

A thorough sound mapping included logarithmic mapping of atomic mass to frequency (pitch perception); harmonic overtones for other elements that are detected at the same timestep; loudness perception is compensated depending on the Fletcher-Munson curve. Each sound event is stereo panned, mapping its group position in the periodic table, helping to separate the elements/beeps more clearly and furthermore giving chemists a hint on the specific element.

The sonification was generated with the computer music software SuperCollider and is intend to be listened to on headphones.

To evaluate the sonification, a listening test was designed and two pilot tests conducted (with 3 and 5 chemists). Then, the adapted experiment with 30 students of chemistry/ related curricula was conducted. The test took between 15-30 minutes and involved a standard ABN test to see whether the students can differentiate the sounds at all; a MUSHRA-like test that is used to rate the quality of sound files in comparison to a reference sound; and the experiment contained qualitative questions on a 7-point Likert scale on understanding, perceived difficulty of the listening tasks, pleasantness and annoyance of the sounds, and if they would like to use sonification in their studies further. General person’s backgrounds and an informed consent were collected.

The experiment was realized with the webMUSHRA environment.

3. Results and Discussion

Statistical analysis reveiled that participants can differentiate the sonified data files in a high accurrancy (one participant reached 100%). Furthermore, on average, participants could reproduce the ground truth by sorting the files correctly. In the qualitative assessment, we found that the sonification was well understood, though the median showed that sounds are slightly annoying and the task slightly difficult. Interestingly, young students showed a trend to be more open to using sonification in their studies than older ones.

4. Educational Significance of the research.

Sonification has been explored in (motor/) learning, e.g. for handwritingiv, and also in abstract didactics, e.g. STEM educationv. In chemistry, sonification studies mainly addressed the context of spectroscopy and 3D structures of molecules.

To our knowledge, besides an interactive sonification of the atomic structure, a general mapping strategy for all elements of the periodic table has not been tried. With this research, the authors initiate an interdisciplinary collaboration towards the goal of a general sonification model for chemical elements and intend to elaborate on didactical use cases further.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic had an interdisciplinary impact on teaching and learning across the education system. From one day to the next, instruction had to shift from face-to-face teaching in schools to remote learning at home. For young learners in primary and secondary education, in particular, this abrupt transformation posed major challenges. Many of them were not accustomed to regulating their own learning, such as setting goals, monitoring their progress, or reflecting on their learning process. At the same time, teachers were often only limitedly available, and most of the teaching materials were not designed to support autonomous, self-regulated learning (SRL) [2]. Only a small number of worksheets or instructional resources included elements that guided students through their own learning processes. Following the pandemic, teachers largely resumed pre-existing routines and continued using traditional instructional materials. This contrasts with an expanding body of research which shows that self-regulated learning substantially contributes to academic success and represents a core competence for lifelong learning [1, 3]. To address these challenges and to assist teachers who are not used to creating SRL materials, we are developing an AI-supported teacher assistant tool (AI-TAT) aimed at enhancing existing instructional materials, particularly worksheets.

Methods

This study follows a design-based research approach (DBR) as described by Schön and Ebner [4], who identify design-based methodologies as one of the three central research approaches in technology-enhanced learning (TEL). Schön and Ebner outline the design-based process as consisting of three interconnected phases: Challenge description, Development and evaluation, and Process and result documentation. In the Challenge description phase, we identified the pedagogical problem that motivates the intervention: the limited support for self-regulated learning in existing worksheets and the need for tools that help teachers analyse and improve such materials. This phase also guided the formulation of the following research questions.

RQ1: To what extent can large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT generate pedagogically meaningful feedback (tool output version 1) that supports secondary school teachers in improving worksheets for self-regulated learning?

RQ2: How do secondary school teachers perceive the usefulness and reliability of such feedback (tool output version 1)?

The subsequent Development and evaluation phase is carried out in multiple iterative cycles. In the final version, the tool will provide automated analysis of teacher-supplied worksheets and produce two types of output: (1) targeted feedback on how the worksheet can be adapted to promote SRL, and (2) a fully revised version of the worksheet suitable for immediate classroom use. At this stage, a prototype of SRLly with output version 1 was developed and used in the first evaluation phase. During this phase, secondary school teachers evaluate the usefulness, trustworthiness & traceability, and feasibility in everyday teaching of the AI-generated feedback, thereby contributing essential practice-based insights (addressing the research questions).

Finally, in the Process and result documentation phase, the decisions, insights and empirical findings from each cycle are systematically documented. The iterative cycles of design, implementation and evaluation make DBR particularly suitable for studies that aim to develop innovative educational technologies while simultaneously generating theoretical insights.

Results and Discussion

In the Challenge description phase, an online questionnaire was conducted with more than 100 secondary school teachers during the Day of Digital Education at the University College of Teacher Education Styria in September 2025. Over 80% of the participating teachers reported using digital worksheets in their classroom practice, indicating a substantial potential user group for SRLly. In the first evaluation phase, teachers from 14 different subjects participated in the interdisciplinary teacher professional development programme, and 76% rated SRLly as good or very good. Nearly 70% intended to implement at least some recommendations, suggesting practical relevance beyond perceived usefulness.

The proposed poster comprises two central components. The first part outlines the design rationale and development process of the AI-TAT prototype, which forms the methodological basis of the study. The second part presents and discusses the empirical findings that address the research questions, drawing on data from the first evaluation phase.

Educational Significance

SRLly supports teachers in integrating elements of self-regulated learning into existing worksheets, making SRL easier to implement in everyday classroom practice. By providing selectable recommendations aligned with SRL theory, it strengthens teachers’ professional judgement and lowers the barrier to designing SRL-supportive learning materials.

Introduction. There is an ongoing debate about using mobile devices for class instruction, with one-to-one integration (1:1; i.e., each student is equipped with one tablet to be used in and outside class) appearing to be among the most promising scenarios[1]. Compared to traditional class with no or only stationary digital devices, meta-analyses suggest positive effects of tablet-based instruction on academic achievement[2,3], particularly if student-centered approaches are used[3]. 1:1 integration, in turn, provides an optimal environment for student-centered learning. However, the effects of tablets in class on academic performance are heterogeneous[2] and inconsistent across subjects[4]. Long-term data of classes with 1:1 tablet integration is missing, particularly in secondary schools.

This study seeks to fill the gap by assessing tablet usage in secondary classes with 1:1 integration across one half-year. To respond to methodological shortcomings of self-report usage data, we chose an alternative approach that enables objective tracking[5]. We asked how overall and subject-specific objective usage data correlates with end-of-term grades in the German (national language/literature) and mathematics subjects (RQ1) and reading and mathematics test scores (RQ2). Additionally, we explored whether objective tablet usage data is associated with an increase in social-cognitive media literacy (RQ3).

Methods. The present analysis only refers to participants who were enrolled in classes with 1:1 tablet (iPad) integration. We obtained objective usage data from N = 347 secondary school students (years 5—11; 149 middle school students and 198 grammar school students) in the second half of school year 2023/24 (February to July 2024). Pseudonymized objective usage data were obtained from two sources: the App Privacy Report that students were asked to share with us once a week, and the application network traffic data, as logged by iPadOS Network Extension, an application developed by our team[5]. Objective data were only obtained during schooltime (08:00—13:00). We recoded the data to minutes in which the tablet was used (vs. not used) within lessons (minTUL; value range 0—45). When the two sources yielded different results for minTUL, the higher value was used for analyses.

German and mathematics end-of-term (July 2024) grades were reported by n = 248 students. Reading accuracy, reading fluency, and reading comprehension (LGVT5-12+) were tested in April 2024 (n = 123). Class-specific mathematics tests (digitalized and shortened versions of DEMAT5+, DEMAT6+, and M-PA) were administered in early 2025 (n = 88). Also in early 2025, we assessed six components of social-cognitive media literacy (detecting arguments, source credibility, media effects knowledge, copyright knowledge, reality-fiction discrimination, and discrimination between media genres; n = 86) using a performance test that we had constructed and piloted in 2023. This media literacy test (MLT) was administered digitally, together with a media literacy self-assessment (MLS; 9 Likert-scaled items) and a media use (media width) survey.

Results and Discussion. Descriptive data reveal that tablets were used (minTUL > 0) in at least 40% of lessons. Mean minTUL is 8.24 (SD = 13.09) for all lessons with minTUL > 0. These values are similar for German (mean = 8.62, SD = 13.27) and mathematics (mean = 7.85, SD = 12.54) lessons. German and mathematics grades are unrelated to objective data on both the general and subject-specific levels. Reading and mathematics tests do also not correlate with objective data, except for geometry task performance correlating positively with total minTUL (r = .29, p = .007), mathematics minTUL (r = .23, p = .033), and the number of mathematics lessons in which tablets were used (r = .25, p = .016). There are no significant correlations of objective data with media width, MLS, or MLT subtests; only a marginally positive association emerged between total minTUL and the total MLT score (r = .19, p = .073).

Educational Significance of the Research. Descriptive data suggests that even with 1:1 integration, tablets do not seem to replace, but complement traditional class. Correlative data tend not to support the idea that more frequent tablet use within 1:1-integrated classes would support academic achievement in main subjects or social-cognitive media literacy. However, the study demonstrates the feasibility of collecting objective usage data in classroom settings. For more decisive evidence, we encourage future research to complement between-class comparisons[2-4] with objective, application-level within-class usage data.

The question of formal education in creative fields has been a topic of public debate for an extended time. While in ‘regulated’ professions, a higher education degree is often an obligation and provides a necessary credibility and certification to perform a role, in many creative fields, where entry barriers to universities are lower, and roles are often broader and more ambiguous in definition, the value of formal education has been questioned. While researchers highlight a positive impact of the educational degree on the economic situation of graduates (OECD, 2024) and point out that society still perceives education as a key to a successful career, art and creative-based degrees have been considered as those with lower market value (Comunian et al., 2010). Considering that growth of the current graduates’ labour market does not align with the increasing number of graduates (Lauder, Meyhow, 2020), and as little as 10% in the US (USAdata, 2022) and 3% in the UK (HESA, 2024) of fashion graduates find employment in the designer roles, the questions about the value of education in fashion field arises.

Significant changes in the fashion industry, increased digitalisation of the industry, and challenges arising from sustainability redefine skills and competences expected from employees in almost all roles within the industry. Considering the number and diversity of roles offered by the fashion industry, those who aim to find employment in the field often might struggle with understanding the labour market expectations, skillset anticipated from the employees or a desired candidate’s profile to which they might have to adjust.

This contribution analyses the sustainability of education in the fashion field in the changing industry and addresses the questions about the skills and competences on the fashion labour market in 2025. This article explores the graduate career field in the fashion industry through the lens of Pierre Bourdieu's (1977) 'Theory of Practise' and his key notions of field and capital. The research investigates the career paths of graduates from four leading European fashion schools, as well as over 100 jobs advertisement from garment, accessorise and cosmetics fashion companies in the UK and IT in order to identify the cultural capitals (Bourdieu, 1977) which employers identify as the key features in their future employees, at the same time, drawing a picture of a current labour market transformation.

The paper argues that despite a lack, in certain contexts, of explicit requirements of an educational degree in the job advertisement, the skills and competences desired by employers might be achieved through completing a formal education, leading to the ‘hidden’ value of the educational degree. Though broadening the requirements to candidates without formal education in the field might be interpreted as education obsolescence, the necessity of work experience, specific technical competencies, or access to a university network (which often supports candidates in securing first employment (Ilyves, Sebok, 2023) might prove that gaining formal education is still important. Moreover, though a number of graduates securing roles in the creative roles in fashion companies is limited, fashion diplomas, in many cases, allow graduates to build careers in the creative fields.

The strong interest of employers in technical and digital skills also showcases the transformation of the role of designer and overall changes in the industry, signifying the new direction of work for educational institutions. The article aims to contribute to educational studies and open a discussion about the alignment of higher education and the labour market in the creative fields in the times of increased measurements of effectiveness and transformation of the fashion industry. The article, drawing on the educational and graduate labour market studies and sociology of work, aims also to provide insights into creative field studies, which, due to the increased digitalisation and increased popularisation of ‘project-based economy’, are dynamic and evolving research fields.

In line with the recent expansion of corpus-assisted ecolinguistics (Poole, 2022) within the Digital Humanities, this exploratory study investigates how ecological values are linguistically encoded in contemporary children’s and young adult (YA) literature across three linguistic and cultural contexts: Romanian, French, and English. Situated at the intersection of ecocriticism (Buell, 1996; Prince & Thiltges, 2018; Goga et al., 2018) and ecolinguistics (Stibbe, 2015; Steffensen & Fill, 2014), the research utilizes a pilot multilingual corpus of approximately thirty titles to examine the shift from passive nature appreciation to active environmental stewardship. By employing digital tools like #LancsBox to analyse keyword frequencies, collocation networks, and appraisal strategies, the study analyses how contemporary YA literature reflects cultural attitudes towards ecological values. Preliminary results reveal distinct regional discursive patterns explained by both literary traditions and current cultural values. Ultimately, this study highlights the power of corpus linguistics in identifying cross-cultural variations in eco-literacy, offering valuable insights for educators and researchers aiming to foster ecological awareness in a globalized society.

Introduction

While traditional youth literature often focuses on an idyllic perspective of nature, this research situates itself at the intersection of ecocriticism (Buell, 1996; Prince & Thiltges, 2018; Goga et al., 2018) and ecolinguistics (Stibbe, 2015; Steffensen & Fill, 2014), aiming to identify how linguistic patterns reflect a shift from passive nature appreciation to Anthropocene agency and eco-literacy. This study addresses the lack of comparative studies combining corpus-based approaches and close reading to examine ecological discourses in children's and young adult literature.

Methods

For this study, we compiled a pilot corpus comprising approximately ten titles per language, selected according to the following criteria: (a) thematic relevance, i.e. the text must explicitly or implicitly address ecological issues (e.g., deforestation, pollution, coexistence with nature); (b) accessibility and didactic value, i.e. texts aimed at readers aged 8-18 that integrate moral or environmental education components; and (c) representativeness, including a mix of canonical and contemporary works. For instance, Țup, salvatoarea iernii (Donovici, 2019, Romania), Céleste, ma planète (De Fombelle, 2020, France), and The Bear in the Stars (Snell, 2020, UK) are included as prototypical examples of ecological storytelling in youth literature.

Using digital tools such as #LancsBox, we analyse keywords frequencies, collocation networks, and the evaluative lexis surrounding nature-related entities. Specifically, we investigate if nature is linguistically framed as an "object" for human use or a "subject" with independent agency, and how contemporary works build systemic thinking and promote individual agency. Sentiment Analysis and Appraisal Theory are applied to analyse how contemporary eco-fictions realize the transition between the peaceful observation of nature to climate anxiety, from an observer child to an agent of change.

Results and Discussion

The preliminary results show significant differences between the three cultures, justified by regional cultural traditions and different degrees of current ecological awareness and assumed responsibility. For instance, the Romanian data underline a continuity of the Romanian folkloric ecology, where nature feels warm, local, and personal, while characters are dominated primarily by sadness and fear. In the French case, nature appears as a structured, cultivated, and pedagogical environment rather than a wild or dramatic landscape, already presenting educational elements, but rather from the sphere of eco-pedagogy, insisting on the descriptive, botanically oriented perspective. In the English context, nature is often portrayed as wild, vast, dynamic, and something to be confronted or explored, not simply inhabited. The recurrent emotions are wonder and discovery, but also anger against human behavior violating ethical and ecological norms.

In conclusion, this mixed-method approach reveals how contemporary ecological narratives across Romanian, French, and English cultures reflect specific regional discursive strategies to foster eco-literacy and stimulate ecological stewardship among youth, in the context of a globalized, digital society.

Educational Significance of the research

In a context of environmental emergency and the ambivalence of the need for local agency and the global character of ecological crisis, the quantitative and cross-cultural comparative aspects are significantly important for detecting local discursive patterns in youth literature, developing selection tools for literary works that foster eco-literacy, and create complementary educational tools. Our study contributes to explaining how young readers are socialized into local ecological values and helps educators understand how books transmit attitudes toward the environment and ecological stewardship.

Introduction

Academic stress has gained attention in research due to the global recognition as a vital determinant of student mental well-being. However, there is limited evidence indicating how this phenomenon unfolds in Technical and Vocational Colleges (TVCs) in Kenya. TVCs play a critical role in providing training to diverse and socio-economically disadvantaged trainees. These students highly depend on social support structures to cope during their training. Based on the shift to competency-based education and training (CBET) curriculum, vocational training has been intensified, become more practical and skills oriented, but also resulting in increased workloads. The CBET curriculum emphasizes continuous assessment and performance, driven by expectations of mastery of industry aligned skills. These amplified academic demands on trainees may lead to positioning academic stress and deteriorated mental well-being. Thus, strengthening student mental well-being by reducing academic stress is a great challenge and triggers our research interest. Guided by the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, and Social Support Theory, this study examined the association between academic stress and mental well-being, and tested the mediation role of perceived academic support among students in Kenya’s TVCs. The study was guided by the research question; What is the mediating role of perceived academic support on academic stress and mental well-being of trainees in Kenya’s TVCs?

Methods

A stratified random sample of 407 (Male = 54.7%, Female = 45.2%) trainees was drawn from 211 public TVCs across the country. Participants were aged 17-44 years (M = 22.83, SD = 3.19) with most originating from low-income households (88.9%). Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected through the following measures: Perceived Academic Stress Scale (with three subscales: expectations; work and examinations; self-reflection), Perceived Academic Support Scale (with three subscales: teacher, peer and parental support), and Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS).

Results and Discussion

Results revealed that both perceived academic stress and perceived academic support were significant predictors of mental well-being. In the overall model, perceived academic stress significantly predicted mental well-being, F(3, 403) = 60.66, p < .001, with a moderate proportion of variance (R = .56, R² = .31). Among the three subscales of academic stress, academic expectations emerged as the strongest positive correlate of mental well-being (B = 1.73, β = .48, p < .001). Similarly, perceived academic support significantly predicted mental well-being, F(1, 405) = 727.17, p < .001 with a strong proportion of variance (R = .801, R² = .642). Perceived academic support strongly predicted mental well-being (B = .77, β = .80, p < .001), indicating that trainees who had better mental well-being tended to report higher levels of perceived academic support. Mediation analysis revealed that perceived academic support significantly mediated the relationship between perceived academic stress and mental well-being. Academic expectation (Effect = 1.236, BootSE = .154, 95% BootCI (.942, 1.546)) and academic stress related to workload and examinations (Effect = −.220, BootSE = .091, 95% BootCI (−.395, −.042)) showed partial mediation, while academic self-perception (Effect = -1.550, BootSE = .191, 95% BootCI (-1.937, -1.198)) showed full mediation.

Educational Significance

Among the three dimensions of perceived academic stress, teacher support emerged the strongest mediator, revealing the buffering function of academic support on academic stress and mental well-being. This underscores the important role of perceived academic support and the need for vocational training stakeholders to allocate and build effective structures and supportive systems such as pedagogical practices and trainer-trainee interventions that promote mental well-being.

Digital learning environments are increasingly expected to generate evidence for learning, competence development, and instructional effectiveness. In educational research and practice, such evidence is still predominantly grounded in assessment logics developed for static instructional settings, including standardized tests, conceptual inventories, and post hoc performance measures. While these instruments have been instrumental in documenting persistent learning difficulties—particularly in domains such as Newtonian mechanics—they are structurally unable to capture the epistemic processes through which understanding develops during interaction.

Research on conceptual change has repeatedly shown that learners’ intuitive explanations are not merely incorrect ideas, but locally coherent and epistemically functional ways of making sense of the physical world. Such explanations often persist even when learners can reproduce formally correct answers, indicating that conceptual learning cannot be reduced to the acquisition of correct responses. Instead, conceptual change involves shifts in learners’ epistemic orientations: how explanations are evaluated, what counts as evidence, and under which conditions an explanation is considered valid or transferable.

At the same time, digital learning environments—particularly simulations and game-like systems—offer interactional possibilities that fundamentally differ from traditional instructional formats. They allow learners to manipulate parameters, test expectations, and observe consequences across systematically varied conditions. However, prior research has also demonstrated that interactive environments do not automatically lead to deeper understanding. Without explicit epistemic structure, learners may selectively attend to confirming evidence and stabilize existing intuitions rather than revise them.

Against this background, this paper reconceptualizes what counts as evidence in digital learning environments. Rather than treating learning as an outcome measured after instruction, it argues that evidence can emerge from epistemic traces learners leave during interaction. These traces include how learners commit to explanations, explore parameter spaces, respond to failure, and revise or stabilize their reasoning across contexts. Such patterns are not merely behavioral data, but indicators of learners’ epistemic commitments and orientations.

The paper adopts a theoretical and design-analytic approach, synthesizing research on conceptual change, epistemic cognition, and representational constraints. On this basis, a conceptual framework is developed that specifies how interaction patterns in digital environments can be interpreted as epistemic traces rather than as indicators of correctness or performance. To illustrate this framework, the paper draws on the design of a simulation-based learning game in introductory mechanics. The environment is structured around empirically well-documented misconceptions, but does not aim to diagnose correctness through explicit testing. Instead, learning activities are organized into epistemic micro-cycles that activate explanatory commitments, render them interactionally testable within simulations, and challenge them again in transfer-oriented contexts.

Importantly, the illustration serves an analytic rather than an evaluative function. The focus is not on learning gains or instructional effectiveness, but on how specific design decisions render epistemic commitments observable and interpretable through interaction. From this perspective, simulations function not primarily as visualizations of correct solutions, but as epistemic constraint systems that force explanations to “work” across situations. Evidence for learning thus emerges from the interactional consequences of learners’ explanations, rather than from external judgments of correctness.

The paper contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on the future of educational evidence by reframing digital learning environments as epistemic measurement spaces rather than instructional tools alone. In the context of ongoing digital transformation in education, this perspective offers an alternative to outcome-oriented evidence models by grounding evidence in epistemic processes rather than performance metrics. For science education in particular, the framework highlights how learner heterogeneity becomes a diagnostic resource rather than a methodological problem. More broadly, the paper provides a principled way of conceptualizing evidence in digital learning environments that aligns with the epistemic demands of complex, interactive forms of learning.

1. Introduction

The presence of male teachers in early childhood education (ECE) has gained international attention due to persistent gender imbalance in the profession and the social meanings associated with men working with young children. Historically, ECE has been viewed as a feminised field linked to “maternal” attributes (Hamel, 2021). Research shows that parents—especially those without prior experience with male ECE teachers—often express concerns about men performing caregiving tasks (Kolesnikova & Kudenko, 2023; Sullivan et al., 2020). These concerns tend to be stronger in communities with stricter gender norms (Matsvange et al., 2021; Williams, 2020).

In Portugal, the scarcity of studies examining families’ views on gender in ECE highlights the need for further investigation into how parents perceive male educators. To help address this gap, this study examines: (i) how parents with and without experience of male ECE teachers perceive their presence; (ii) differences between these groups; and (iii) how parents’ perceptions vary according to parental figure, geographical region, and ECE stage—nursery vs. kindergarten.

2. Method

An online survey was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 114 parents—99 mothers and 15 fathers—from the northern, central, and southern regions of Portugal. Participants were divided into two groups: Group A, 62 parents (54.4%) with prior experience with male ECE teachers; and Group B, 52 parents (45.6%) without such experience. The questionnaire included three sections: (i) sociodemographic information; (ii) a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from “completely agree” to “completely disagree”; and (iii) three open-ended questions intended to elicit respondents’ unrestricted opinions. Completion and submission of the questionnaire indicated informed consent.

3. Results and Discussion

To examine potential differences between the two groups, sample normality and homogeneity of variances were assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk and Levene tests. As assumptions for parametric tests were not met, Mann–Whitney tests were applied and p-values subsequently combined using Stouffer’s method, suitable for correlated items. Significant differences were found, with parents without prior experience with male ECE teachers showing a clearer preference for female educators (z 0.69 / p < .0001).

To explore differences associated with sociodemographic variables, the same tests were applied. No significant differences were found for parental figure (z –0.41 / p = .66). However, parents in the central region and those with children in nursery school tended to value female teachers more than those in the North and South and those with children in kindergarten (z 2.71 / p = .006, and z 3.02 / p = .002 respectively).

Open-ended responses were analysed using word clouds to identify predominant concepts, followed by categorical mapping of response frequencies. The results showed that all Group A parents expressed trust in male teachers. When asked whether they preferred a male or female educator, regardless of prior experience, the majority across both groups (96 out of 114) reported that gender was irrelevant so long as children received adequate care.

Overall, the findings suggest that gender stereotypes persist among Portuguese parents, echoing international research. Yet when male educators were evaluated outside direct comparison with female counterparts, acceptance and recognition of their role increased. This apparent contradiction may reflect a generalised positive view of gender equality that becomes more difficult to apply in situations perceived as closely tied to “maternal” attributes. The findings also highlight that male educators successfully build strong relationships with children, reinforcing that professional competence is not determined by gender and supporting efforts to promote more inclusive hiring and training practices in ECE.

4. Educational Significance of the Study

This study contributes to the discussion of workforce diversification in Portugal and internationally by indicating a need for social awareness and inclusion policies to increase male participation in ECE and reduce stereotypes that still limit this presence. The results also point to the importance of developing future strategies that normalise gender diversity in ECE settings, with potential long-term benefits for children’s development, the professional culture of early education, and the evolution of more equitable educational environments.

1. Introduction

Within the traditional manner of teaching science, the scientific knowledge establishes a discipline – a canonic corpus of knowledge elements. We argue for reconsidering this tradition within the perspective on scientific knowledge as a culture, the Culture of Rules.[1] Within this perspective, we produced the model of Discipline-Culture (DC).[2] The new learning materials comprise a hierarchical structure incorporating pertinent content of history and philosophy of science. We applied this paradigm to assess the impact on students learning physics in high school. Here, we illustrate such application in a specific form of summary lecture proceeding a disciplinary course of classical mechanics (CM).

2. Method

The experimental lecture adopted the triadic structure of the content knowledge within the DC perspective – nucleus (fundamentals)-body (deduced and subordinate items of knowledge)-periphery (alternatives to the nucleus). The assessment included quantitative and qualitative analysis. Our sample incorporated 64 students from several high schools and teacher college classes. The lectures were given by three physics teachers two of which taught the course to the students. The experiment included the lecture (two academic hours), pre- and post- questionnaire of 21 items of mixed character (multiple choice-open kind), comprised by us and validated by the previous studies and consultations with experts. The questions addressed the conceptual content of CM and the epistemological features of physics knowledge. Our observations in the classes were recorded and used to support our analysis and inferences. Our quantitative analysis employed the size-effect statistical tool, while the qualitative analysis drew on the agreement between the researchers.[3]

3. Results and Discussion

The following Table illustrates some of the quantitative results of the assessment.[4]

Table. Examples of students’ advancement

# Aspects of advancement Pre versus Post out of N=64 Size effect of the lecture

1 Recognition of uniform rectilinear motion as a natural state of matter 35→57 0.68 (medium-large)

2 Perception of validity area/correctness of theories and laws in science 36→55 0.56 (medium-large)

3 Recognition of the role of alternative conceptions 33→54 0.62 (medium-large)

4 Impact on the conceptual understanding 35→55 0.66 (medium-large)

The qualitative assessment informed us regarding the impact on students’ content and their epistemological knowledge. Among the specific points, there were:

• The holistic perception of CM, its agenda, and hierarchical structure

• Revealing the meaning of CM (as a theory of motion, the uniform motion as a natural state, the role of force, the hierarchy of knowledge elements)

• The need to know about conceptual alternatives, their impact

• The meaning of such concepts as theory, laws, kinds of models

• Perception of validity area/correctness and the status of knowledge being proved in science

• Students’ confidence, cognitive engagement, interest, and the affective impact

• Dissatisfaction and insufficiency of instrumental teaching, the need of holistic perspective

Our results testify for a significant impact of students’ understanding of CM as a fundamental theory of motion, its epistemological aspects (validity area, theory correctness and empirical verification, discourse with alternatives, central concepts). The novelty of the teaching approach met enthusiasm of the students who explicitly expressed their curiosity in physics beyond problem solving, its structure and conceptual hierarchy as emerged in the discourse with conceptual alternatives (periphery). This image was facilitated by the specific perspective on the theory-based knowledge as a culture of rules.

4. Educational Significance of the research

The impact of such teaching, was coherent with our previous empirical efforts in teaching optics and quantum mechanics. It suggests far reaching curricular implications – replacement of the traditional disciplinary teaching of science by the cultural-disciplinary one. DC-based summary lecture as addendum to a disciplinary course, may serve as the first feasible step in this direction. We anticipate further extension of the DC-based approach to teaching of other areas of science curricula seeking students’ construction of cultural content knowledge of science in general, and physics, in particular.[5] The benefits of the DC approach to CM expand on providing holistic perspective on science and recognition the fundamental features of its knowledge. The significance of the new vision is in the intention to replace instrumentally oriented instruction with teaching and students’ training with learning, engagement with perception of science, its nature as an attractive culture to learn and live in.

Research on problem-solving before instruction (PS-I) has demonstrated that problem solving tasks that increase Knowledge Gap Awareness better prepare students to learn from subsequent instruction (Glogger-Frey et al. 2015; Loibl et al. 2014). Knowledge gap awareness is a central mechanism explaining the effectiveness of PS-I. Previous studies with apprentices approaching the end of their vocational training have shown that digital PS-I interventions designed to foster complex task performance were less effective than anticipated (Meier et al., 2024) and were not used to a satisfactory extent (Meier et al., 2022). A pilot study indicated unexpectedly low levels of knowledge gap awareness following an initial attempt to solve a complex diagnostic problem. This result stands in contrast to findings from PS-I research, which would predict heightened awareness of knowledge gaps after an unsuccessful or challenging problem-solving attempt. One explanation for the low knowledge gap awareness observed in the pilot study is learners’ tendency to overestimate their own performance. Indeed, the pilot study revealed that participants overestimated their performance on the initial diagnostic problem-solving. This finding aligns with previous research demonstrating that individuals who overestimate their abilities tend to be less aware of their knowledge gaps (Kruger & Dunning, 1999; Pennycook et al., 2017). Consistent with these findings, participants in the pilot study who showed stronger overestimation reported lower levels of knowledge gap awareness. Prior research has linked overestimation to increased amotivation and reduced learning effort (Trifunovic-Koenig et al., 2022; Bushuven et al., 2023). Overestimation appears to be especially pronounced among learners who have already acquired some domain knowledge but have not yet encountered challenging tasks (Sanchez and Dunning, 2018). Confronting learners with challenging tasks and informative feedback may be a promising approach to increasing knowledge gap awareness and motivating them to put more effort into subsequent learning.

The present study aimed to reduce learners’ overestimation by providing performance feedback following a preparatory problem-solving task. We hypothesized that learners who receive feedback after a preparatory problem-solving task would (a) exhibit higher knowledge gap awareness, (b) report lower amotivation, (c) invest more effort in learning, and (d) achieve better learning outcomes compared to learners who do not receive feedback.

We conducted an experimental study in a digital learning environment with 292 automotive technician apprentices. The learning content focused on diagnostic reasoning for automotive malfunctions, a core component of the vocational curriculum. At the beginning of the study, participants completed questionnaires assessing amotivation, intended learning effort, and declarative prior knowledge. Afterwards participants individually diagnose a vehicle malfunction (diagnostic performance task) and subsequently estimated their own performance. Following self-estimation, participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the experimental condition, participants received fictitious performance feedback, which was calibrated based on mean performance levels observed in a previous study (Meier et al., 2024). Participants in the control condition received no feedback. After this experimental manipulation, participants entered the instructional phase, which consisted of a modelling example addressing a similar vehicle malfunction. Finally, participants completed post-tests assessing declarative knowledge and knowledge application. Overestimation was operationalized as the difference between participants’ actual diagnostic performance and their self-estimated performance. To examine group differences, t-tests were conducted. Mixed-measures ANOVAs were used to analyze changes over time between conditions.

Initial analyses revealed that nearly all participants substantially overestimated their diagnostic performance. The small number of participants accurately estimated their performance achieved and estimated 0% of the points. On average, participants overestimated their performance by 45 percentage points. Contrary to our hypotheses, no significant differences were found between the experimental and control conditions with regard to knowledge gap awareness (M(EC) = 3.79, M(CC) = 3.71, p =.27), amotivation (M(EC) = 2.8, M(CC) = 2.63, p =.17), intended effort (M(EC) = 2.04, M(CC) = 1.95, p =.15), or learning outcomes (M(EC) = 1.02, M(CC) = 0.99, p =.43).

Despite the absence of significant effects of feedback to the preparatory problem-solving task, the consistently high level of overestimation observed in this study underscores the importance of addressing overestimation in PS-I settings. Since overestimation appears closely related to reduced knowledge gap awareness, simple performance feedback may be insufficient to trigger productive cognitive and motivational processes. Ongoing analyses aim to further explore the relationships between overestimation, knowledge gap awareness, amotivation, learning effort, and learning outcomes.

1. Introduction: Theoretical Background, Aims, and Research Questions

Pluralism and diversity in education are not only institutional principles but lived realities shaped by culture, memory, gender, and power. From a humanistic perspective, education is understood as a relational and transformative process through which individuals construct meaning, negotiate identity, and imagine possible futures. Feminist pedagogy and intersectional theory emphasize the importance of listening to marginalized voices, particularly women’s voices, in order to understand how educational systems include, exclude, or silence difference.

In Albania, women’s educational experiences are deeply intertwined with the country’s social history, marked by the legacy of socialism, post-socialist transition, migration, and enduring patriarchal norms. While statistical indicators show increasing female participation in education, these figures often mask inequalities related to geography, social class, and cultural expectations. Women’s educational journeys are therefore diverse and non-linear, shaped by personal aspirations as well as by family responsibilities, community values, and institutional constraints.

The aim of this study is to explore women’s educational experiences in Albania through a pluralistic and human-centered lens. Rather than focusing solely on access or outcomes, the research seeks to understand how women themselves interpret their educational paths and how diversity is acknowledged or overlooked within educational processes.

The study addresses the following research questions:

1. How do women in Albania narrate and give meaning to their educational experiences?

2. What social, cultural, and institutional factors shape women’s participation in education?

3. How is pluralism understood and practiced within Albanian educational contexts from women’s perspectives?

2. Methods

The research adopts a qualitative and interpretive methodology grounded in humanistic inquiry. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with women from different generations, educational levels, and regional contexts, including urban and rural areas. Participants included students, educators, and women whose education had been interrupted due to social or economic circumstances.

The interviews encouraged participants to reflect on their personal educational stories, moments of support or exclusion, and their perceptions of gender roles within educational spaces. In addition, national education policy documents were reviewed to situate individual narratives within broader institutional discourses.

The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with attention to meaning, emotion, and voice. This approach allowed for a nuanced understanding of diversity not as a fixed category, but as a lived and evolving experience.

3. Results and Discussion

The findings reveal education as both a space of empowerment and a site of tension for women in Albania. Many participants described education as a source of self-confidence, autonomy, and expanded horizons. For some, schools and universities provided rare spaces where alternative identities and aspirations could be explored beyond traditional gender expectations.

At the same time, the narratives reveal persistent challenges. Women from rural areas often spoke of limited access, early responsibilities, and social pressure to conform to traditional roles. Gender norms continued to shape educational choices, particularly regarding fields of study and career aspirations. While institutional discourse promotes equality, everyday educational practices do not always reflect a genuine commitment to pluralism.

These findings suggest that educational diversity in Albania is frequently addressed at a formal level, while deeper cultural and relational dimensions remain insufficiently acknowledged.

4. Educational Significance of the Research

This study highlights the importance of humanizing educational research by centering women’s voices and experiences. It suggests that fostering pluralism in education requires more than policy reforms; it calls for reflective pedagogies, inclusive curricula, and institutional cultures that value difference and dialogue. By recognizing women’s diverse educational narratives, educational systems can better support equity, participation, and social transformation in Albania.

1. Introduction

A common obstacle to learning mathematics is conceptual interference (CI). From a very early age, individuals develop pre-instructional naïve theories that might be scientifically incorrect. Even after receiving instruction, these naïve theories persist in memory alongside scientifically accepted concepts and may interfere [1]. While this phenomenon is well-documented in mathematics [2, 3], effective interventions to reduce CI remain under-researched.

CI is typically demonstrated using speeded reasoning tasks where participants judge statements on scientific topic that are either incongruent, meaning that the scientific truth value contradicts naïve theories, or congruent, with the same answer according to both the naïve and scientific theories. Incongruent statements are typically solved more slowly and less accurately than congruent ones, providing evidence for the CI effect [1, 2, 3]. Because targeted CI interventions are sparse, this study draws on interventions, that have been successful in reducing a conceptually similar effect: the continued influence effect. The continued influence effect describes how misinformation continues to influence people's thinking and reasoning even after the misinformation has been corrected [4]. Both Prebunking (proactive inoculation against fallacies) and Debunking (retroactive correction of misconceptions) have been proven to reduce susceptibility to misinformation [5]. Consequently, the present study tested whether two short intervention texts based on Prebunking and Debunking methods can reduce the CI effect in mathematics.

2. Methods

Ninety-two young adults (mostly university students) were randomly assigned to three equal-sized groups. To assess CI and to test whether the intervention affected its magnitude, we measured reaction time and accuracy in a speeded reasoning task based on [2]. The task included 240 statements from seven mathematical domains (i.e., fractions, functions, stochastics, whole numbers, algebra, units and geometry, and basic concepts) that were either congruent (naïve and scientific true/false) or incongruent (naïve true and scientific false, or vice versa). The Prebunking group received a warning about misleading intuitive beliefs and logical fallacies they might encounter in the speeded reasoning task. The Debunking group reviewed a specific error they might have made in the Cognitive Reflection Task, receiving a detailed refutation and explanation of the correct concept. The Control group read a neutral text on the utility of mathematics. Participants additionally completed a test of mathematical achievement and the Cognitive Reflection Test to account for possible differences between groups.

3. Results and Discussion

The results revealed no group differences in demographics (e.g., age, gender, and education), cognitive reflection ability, or mathematical achievement, indicating that the groups showed no prior differences in ability. A 3 (group) x 2 (congruency) ANOVA revealed that incongruent statements were solved slower and less accurate than congruent statements, thus replicating previous findings. However, the analysis did not reveal a significant group effect or interaction for either accuracy or response time, indicating that our interventions had no influence on the CI effect. There might be several reasons for this. Although participants were instructed to read the intervention text carefully, we did not verify whether they had engaged with the material. Future studies might therefore consider alternative methods to enhance understanding. Additionally, both interventions used a single mathematical example from one mathematical domain to demonstrate the existence of naïve concepts and their potential impact on reasoning. However, in the speeded reasoning task, we used statements from a wide range of mathematical domains that evoked a variety of naïve concepts. As such, the interventions might have been too specific and may not have transferred to this broader set of problems. Overall, our findings suggest that while pre- and debunking strategies might work for surface-level misinformation, naive mathematical concepts seem to function as robust mental models that are resistant to brief, text-based interventions.

4. Educational Significance of the research.

This research highlights that CI is particularly prevalent in mathematics education, as early-formed naïve theories (e.g., about fractions, proportionality, or randomness) are pervasive, intuitively compelling, and systematically bias reasoning about topics that scaffold later learning. If not properly addressed, they may impede problem solving, lower performance accuracy, and lead to lasting disparities in student achievement. The present findings indicate that brief, text-based interventions alone are unlikely to reduce the impact of naïve mathematical theories, emphasizing the need for more engaging and transferable instructional designs.